In the winter of 1650, Marione Sprott, a woman of very poor socioeconomic status residing in the burgh of Dumfries, found her life brought under the intense scrutiny of the local ecclesiastical authorities. On January 21, Marione was identified as one of seven individuals investigated by the presbytery regarding allegations of witchcraft. At the time of these proceedings, she was known to be subsisting on alms, a reflection of the profound economic marginality that characterized her position within the community.
The archival records, specifically case reference C/EGD/208 and trial record T/LA/1506, document this transition from a struggling beggar to a subject of judicial inquiry. Marione was swept into a collective investigation during a period when the presbytery of Dumfries sought to impose strict religious and social discipline. While the records remain sparse regarding the specific testimony brought against her, her inclusion in this group of seven reflects the broader mechanisms of the 1650 witch hunts, where those on the fringes of society were frequently gathered into the administrative machinery of the kirk and the courts.